About Us.

The Sonoma County Sustainable Tourism Observatory is part of a worldwide effort to advance sustainable tourism that is being led by the UN World Tourism Organization. Called the “International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories” (INSTO), member observatories collect data on key areas and then present their findings in an annual report and at the UNWTO conference.
The objectives of INSTO, as adopted by the Sonoma County Observatory, are to focus on:

  • Knowledge building – To highlight and share good practices and lessons’ learned.

  • Continuity – To foster long-term commitment for regular monitoring, thus contributing to the sustainable growth of the sector at the destination-level.

  • Stakeholder empowerment – To actively engage local stakeholders in the measurement of risks, costs, impacts, limits and opportunities through an inclusive and participatory approach.

  • Engagement – To network and exchange information for improved collaboration, communication and greater public accountability.

  • Evidence – To establish a strong foundation of tangible information for well-informed decision making in tourism.

  • Performance measurement – To monitor the implementation of sustainable development plans, policies and management actions.

  • Integrated approach – To provide a framework for the systematic, timely and regular monitoring of resource-use, and a better understanding of tourism impacts.


Click here for more information on the UN World Tourism Organization’s Observatory program

Why Sonoma?

Sonoma is already a pioneer in terms of sustainability in a variety of ways.

  • Sonoma County has an innovative clean power company that takes more than 77% of its “clean start” and “evergreen” programs from hydropower and geothermal sources, and it is home to a number of leaders in the solar energy industry in California.

  • According to the Wine Institute the North Coast is home to nearly half of the total wineries in the state.

  • It is host to the Sustainable Enterprise Conference, one of the longest-running conferences on sustainability in the country.

  • Its thriving local agriculture scene includes over 25 Farmers Markets, 50+ farm-to-table Food Co-ops, and several active chapters of Slow Food.

  • More than 50% of the redwoods are still standing thanks to careful regulation and local conservation action.

  • The first-ever Green Motor Sports conference was held at Sonoma Raceway as part of a consistent program to introduce patrons to sustainable practices throughout the sport visitor experience.

  • New public/private partnerships are in place to keep State parks like Jack London State Park and Armstrong Redwoods Park open as government funding is reduced due to budget cuts.

Sonoma Facts:

  • Nearly 20,000 are employed in tourism in Sonoma County – 1 out of every 8 jobs as compared with the 1 out of 11 nationwide average.

  • 91% percent of Sonoma County’s tourism businesses are locally owned

  • 82% of those tourism businesses are small, with fewer than 25 employees

  • an estimated 7.5 million visitors come to Sonoma each year.

Meet the Team.

Pamela Lanier | Founder

Pamela Lanier is the author of 20 travel titles and textbooks in 130 editions.
Over the past 12 years, Pamela has been very involved in ecotourism and sustainable travel, leading presentations at the World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, World Wilderness Congress in Salamanca, Spain, World Travel Market, London, and World Parks Congress, Sydney, amongst one-hundred and thirty conference presentations worldwide.
​She is a National Geographic Geo Ambassador, is a member of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). She is the co-founder of EcoGo.org, a one-stop resource for ecotravel news, lodgings, and more, to help you have fun and travel green!
​Her latest titles include Sustainable Tourism: a Small Business Handbook for Success, The Good Company: Sustainability in Hospitality, Tourism, and Wine, and Healthy Vines, Pure Wines: Methods in Organic, Biodynamic®, Natural and Sustainable Viticulture.

  • Project Coordinator

    Jessica is a graduate from Sonoma State University. She's worked with Pamela for the past four years, assisted in book releases, created presentation materials, and has been a part of this Observatory effort from the beginning.

    She is a member of the IUCN’s Commission on Education and Communication, and a member of the following subgroups: IUCN CEC Young Professional Group, IUCN CEC NatureForAll, CEPA, Social and Behaviour Change Communications, IUCN CEC Community Management, Traditional Knowledge, Empowerment.

    She is a co-author of the 2021 publication, Healthy Vines, Pure Wines.

  • Consultant and researcher

    After a career as a marketer for the professional and trade division of John Wiley & Sons, Lora is now a writer and marketing consultant for academic publications and newsletters.

    A lifelong advocate of sustainable and accessible agriculture for communities, she worked closely with neighbors to revitalize the Lanham Village Community Garden in 2008 and continues to volunteer in the Garden each year. She lives in Marin County California with her bees and chickens.

  • Advisor

    A consultant with more than 50 years of hands-on management experience and a long history of public service.

    After serving in senior positions for several American companies, he was Vice President of Personnel at American Express Company for 4 years. Locally Mr. Kuhns has served as a Board or Advisory member for the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, the Sonoma Community Center, La Luz Center, the Sonoma Ecology Center, the Headlands Institute, Convergent Media, Sonoma’s Vintage House, and the Guardian Committee of the Willmar Center for Bereaved Children.